No tentative collective agreement between players and owners was reached Wednesday, and NFL player representatives departed a meeting in Washington without taking a vote to accept a potential deal. In fact, there was not yet a completed CBA document for the players to vote on.

While a new CBA still appeared imminent, it remained uncertain exactly when the lockout would end, and when league business would begin.

A deal could still be reached Thursday, and most of the major hurdles have already been cleared. However, Kevin Mawae, president of the de-certified players union, warned that a new CBA could take a few more days when he addressed reporters Wednesday morning in Washington. Mawae said that players would not vote Wednesday simply because the owners were arriving in Atlanta for their own meeting Thursday.

"We’re not tied to a timeline of July 21," Mawae said. "Our timeline is that which gets us the deal that’s the best deal for our players. Whether that’s today, or tomorrow, or whenever it may be, we want to play football, we want to go back to work. But we’re not going to agree to any deal unless it’s the right deal for all the players.’’

Issue of the day

The pending lawsuits between the players and the league remained a stumbling block. Until there was a determination on how those lawsuits would be satisfied, a deal would be difficult to reach

What’s left

Commissioner Roger Goodell, owners, and top team executives will meet Thursday in Atlanta. The owners could still vote to ratify a deal Thursday. At least 24 of the 32 owners would need to vote in favor for a new deal to be approved.

The players can vote by conference call.

Owners take

Down the road, the owners are concerned about the union de-certifying again and filing more lawsuits after the next collective bargaining agreement expires.

Players take

Knowing that this could be a 10-year deal, the players want to make sure it works for them over the long haul. The NFL may look quite different 10 years from now with new television contracts, the potential of at least one team in Los Angeles, more new stadiums and billions more in revenue to be divided.

Whether a deal is completed Thursday, Friday, or next week, the players want a deal that protects their future interests.

"We’re in a good place, and the fact that all our guys our here, if a decision needs to be made, it can be made,’’ Mawae said. "The process is what we need to worry about. Our board is here, so that if the deal in its totality is the right deal, then they will propose it to the rest of the players in the NFL.

"At the end of the day, whenever a deal is struck, there’s going to be stuff on the table that we don’t like, and stuff that the other side doesn’t like. But at the end of the day, whatever’s on the table, whatever we agree to has got to be what’s right for the players.”

Asked if there was a timetable for a completed CBA document, Mawae said, "There’s a lot of legal stuff that needs to be taking place. We all know how long lawyers take.”

Reports surfaced Tuesday that the Brady v. NFL antitrust lawsuit had become a stumbling block to completing a deal, with plaintiffs in the lawsuit seeking compensation and conditions before the suit could be settled. Those plaintiffs included Chargers wide receiver Vincent Jackson, Patriots guard Logan Mankins, Saints quarterback Drew Brees and Colts quarterback Peyton Manning.

Yahoo! Sports reported Jackson and Mankins wanted either to be declared free agents, or to receive $10 million. The Boston Globe reported that Manning and Brees wanted to be exempt from the franchise tag.

Brees and Jackson both denied on Twitter that they were doing anything to hold up the deal. Even if the owners did not settle with the plaintiffs individually, the union was not likely to hold up an entire deal just to appease four players.

Multiple reports surfaced Wednesday that Jackson, despite his denial, along with Mankins still have the request on the table.

Asked about the role of the plaintiffs in a potential deal, Mawae said, "At the end of the day, the deal that we’re working on is a deal that is best for all players in the NFL, and not just four guys.”

How close is a deal

It’s still first-and-goal. It was a good sign that the player representatives were in Washington on Wednesday. Perhaps the owners and players would finally ratify a new deal Thursday or Friday. But until a deal was finalized, there remained a chance that the start of free agency and training camps would be further delayed.